Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: What flowers should I stay away from?  (Read 5459 times)

Offline bernsad

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 462
What flowers should I stay away from?
« on: July 24, 2012, 03:54:24 am »
One long-time beek I know says to stay away from Cotoneaster, he reckons the honey tastes lousy. What other flowers would you try and avoid your bees getting into?

Offline Wonga

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 68
  • The budget should be balanced, the Treasury refill
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2012, 06:40:23 am »
 I haven't heard about cotoneaster, I don't know how you can keep your bees away from it in an urban or semi-urban or even rural environment, given their foraging habits.

However, we did cut out a cotoneaster from our yard , because they are a noxious weed, and birds spread them into the bush by eating the berries . . . .like darned privet (large or small), it actually is good bee foraging, but still a noxious weed in Australia, so if you can, get rid of them.

Offline Joe D

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2246
  • Gender: Male
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2012, 02:07:37 am »
Wonga thats the same over here.  Privet hedge and several other weeds that I used to bush hog trying to get reed of, now that I have bees I let grow.  I have acres of the stuff, makes good honey.




Joe

Offline David McLeod

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 702
  • Gender: Male
  • Georgia's Full Service Wildlife Solution
    • Georgia Wildlife Services, Inc
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2012, 03:31:02 am »
Yep, I have a love/hate relationship with privet. Having tried, unsuccessfully, to rid several cow pastures and yards of the stuff I can tell you that it is one of those almost impossible to kill plants, Yet on the other hand it is probably the one never fail every year like clockwork honey plants in the southeast.
Georgia Wildlife Services,Inc
Georgia's Full Service Wildlife Solution
Atlanta (678) 572-8269 Macon (478) 227-4497
www.atlantawildliferemoval.net
georgiawildlifeservices@gmail.com

Offline OzBuzz

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1031
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2012, 09:12:52 am »
Bernsad, it depends on what your priorities are - are you talking about honey taste? yield? nutrition value to the bees?

Offline bernsad

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 462
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2012, 08:27:13 pm »
I was concerned primarily with taste, Oz. I'm just a hobbyist at the moment so I like to leave enough in the hive for the girls to live and I only take off a what's left for a small distribution, hence it's got to taste good.

Offline OzBuzz

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1031
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #6 on: July 27, 2012, 01:31:32 am »
Then, from my knowledge, there's nothing really you need to be worried about... from what I've heard canola honey isn't that great taste wise but I don't think there's anything out there that's really going to kill the taste completely

Offline bernsad

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 462
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2012, 02:01:14 am »
That's good to know, thanks.

Offline OzBuzz

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1031
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #8 on: July 30, 2012, 08:09:24 pm »
If you know of any good patches of Patersons Curse let me know hahah :)

Offline rawfind

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 229
    • My Website
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2012, 04:10:16 am »
One long-time beek I know says to stay away from Cotoneaster, he reckons the honey tastes lousy. What other flowers would you try and avoid your bees getting into?

Here,s one definitely worth mentioning   Galenia pubescens    Ill paste a link to the article, it makes your honey bitter.


Brimbank leader

Offline bernsad

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 462
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2012, 07:18:42 am »
Thanks for the article rawfind, I hadn't heard of Galenia before. Have you had a problem with it? I'll have to see if I can find a better photo for identification.

Offline rawfind

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 229
    • My Website
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2012, 12:38:25 am »
Thanks for the article rawfind, I hadn't heard of Galenia before. Have you had a problem with it? I'll have to see if I can find a better photo for identification.

No i havnt had any problem with it thank God! but i saw that article last year and the posts jogged my memory to the article, heres a
link to help you identify it

How To Identify  Galenia

Offline bernsad

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 462
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2012, 04:33:45 am »
I reckon I've seen that stuff before. Thanks for the ID link.

Offline rawfind

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 229
    • My Website
Re: What flowers should I stay away from?
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2012, 07:17:43 pm »
I reckon I've seen that stuff before. Thanks for the ID link.

No problem, i for one will be keeping my eyes open on my land, im even paranoid when i see a weed pop up i havnt seen before, im sure its not the only bitter weed.